Finishing the Unfinished Basement Storage

It used to be common that homes were built without unfinished basements. You may have that problem and would like to finish your basement so you can use it for more than storage and laundry. Luckily, in most cases finishing your basement is not too difficult of a process.

To begin with your basement storage units project you need to declutter first or clean it up. This means moving whatever you have down there to somewhere else for the time being. You should also sweep and dust just to give you a clean slate to start working with.

The Basement Wall Challenge

Your basement walls are going to be the biggest challenge. You want to get rid of the horrible concrete look and put up something that looks more like the rest of your home. Additionally, you want walls that will help to keep out the dampness.

Most people think they can simply install some drywall, paint and be done, but that is not the best approach to finishing your basement walls. You first have to look at the condition of the walls to know how to proceed.

If you have some dampness issues you may consider calling in someone to take care of that. Whatever wall you put up will only be hiding the problem, which will eventually seep through.

Now you need to measure and get some accurate information so you know exactly how much drywall and other supplies you will need.

Once you gather your supplies you will want to put up a wood frame. This will allow for ease of hanging the drywall and prevent the drywall from being right up against the concrete walls. Once your frame is up you can then start hanging the drywall.

Finish it off with a couple coats of paint and your walls are finished. You may also wish to follow the same process with finishing the ceiling.

The Floor Issue

You have many options when it comes to the floor. You could choose from:

- tile

- carpet

- area rugs

Whatever your choice, make sure that you measure properly so you have enough to cover the whole floor. Also make sure that dampness is not going to be an issue and take care of it if it is before installing any flooring or you will pay for it later.

Finishing your basement allows you to have a whole additional room in your home. You can probably find many uses for this new room and it is sure to be a welcome addition to your home.
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Things To Know About Getting a Self Storage Units

Looking for self storage in your area? Self storage can be needed for a large number of purposes. Itcan be needed for things such as decluttering, craft storage, extra space storage, kid home from college storage, storing the personal belongings of a loved one who has recently passed away, storing fitness equipments, storing yard sale stuff, remodeling house storage, business storage and many more.

The purpose of this article is to provide as much information as possible about the self storage industry and self storage facilities. To begin with, let us look at some of the essential tips on how to find local self storage.

Finding Local Self Storage Companies

1. Going to the storage location directly - if you have noticed some self storage locations around your local area, then you can drive to the location directly and find out more about their services. Storage companies will most probably choose locations which have a good face value. In other words, access to the location will be easy.

2. The phone book can be really helpful when it comes to finding storage services in your local area. The yellow pages will have contact numbers of the companies which offer storage services. Although information will not be as detailed as you would find on the company website, you will still be able to get hold of the phone numbers and also the location address.

3. Storage companies can also be found through the print media. Companies pay huge amounts of money to get their advertisements published in the newspapers and magazines. You can look through your local newspapers and magazines to see if they have advertisements about self storage companies.

4. Billboards, radios and the television are also good ways for the local storage companies to get their names out there. When listening to your favorite music station, watching television or travelling the highway, look out for these advertisements.

5. If you have access to the internet, you can simply search and get the results. These days, more than 80% of the storage companies have websites to attract potential customers. Your local self storage website will include information such as security features, rental payment information, how to get to the site, sizes of units, gate hours and other important information that will help you choose the one which suits your storage needs.

How To Choose The Best Self Storage Facility?

If you are considering making use of a self storage facility, it is important for you to choose the best one. Choosing the best one will ensure that you have a pleasant storage experience. Here are some of the important things that you must consider if you are looking for the best self storage facility.

- There has to be adequate security measures in the storage facility
- The units which are available are the right size to meet your individual needs.
- The units are suitable for the type of items you are looking to store. If you want to store valuable items, you must ensure that the storage unit has concealing walls so it is not possible for anyone else to see what is inside.
- The facility is climate controlled to avoid unnecessary damage to your items. For example, if the unit is not climate controlled, the space in which you store your items may become warm and damp in a few months. If you have stored items such as clothes and upholstery in the unit, then chances are that they will become damaged.
- The facility must take measures for pest control. This will ensure that your belongings are safe within the facility.
- Storage units must be clean, neat, tidy and well maintained
- There will be no hidden surprises when you go through the fine print

Types of Self Storage

There are four types of self storage. These include:

1. Climate controlled self storage - such storage units are available within enclosed buildings. All the units are humidity and temperature controlled which provides protection to the valuables. In all climate controlled self storage facilities, access is limited to authorised users. There is close monitoring and hi tech security systems in place.

2. Non climate controlled storage - these are much cheaper than the climate controlled units. These are located outdoors and are multiple row set of garages. They look very much like typical garages, expect that a number of units are linked to each other and divided with mesh partitions. Non climate controlled storage facilities enable users to drive up to the door of the unit and pick up or drop off items.

3. Portable container storage - mostly used when people consider carrying out remodeling work at home and need storage space for their belongings. When you make use of this kind of self storage facility, the company will deliver a container to your door step in which you can store your belongings. You can choose to keep this container storage unit on your property or you can have it picked up by the company once you have stored your belongings. Your belongings will be kept safe in these containers and when the company takes the unit, they will store it at their facility until you need your belongings.

4. Information management service - when you make use of information management service, the company will pick up files from your home or office and transport them to their climate-controlled storage units. Your items will be delivered back to you upon request. Items that can be stored mainly include files, folders and other kinds of paperwork. Such facilities do not store large items such as furniture, tools and home equipments.

Getting Insurance For Your Self Storage Items

Most people assume that self-storage companies provide insurance for their items. In most cases, this is not the case. You may be able to get comprehensive insurance for your belongings, but this service will be added to the cost of your facility rental. Certain companies may offer basic coverage which will be included in your agreement. However, this kind of insurance is usually not enough for the items stores in these facilities, in case of losses and damages. For this reason, it is important for you to research all insurance options. This also includes those which are offered with the agreement.

One of the best ways to get insurance for your self storage items is to find out from your home insurance carrier. There are some who will offer coverage for your storage items. However, it is important for you to ensure that you verify the amount of coverage that is being offered. This is because most policies will reduce the amount of coverage for items stored away in storage facilities. But, you may be able to buy additional coverage for at an added price. On the other hand, you can also purchase a separate policy from your home insurance carrier.

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30 Days DeClutter Challenge

Its time to start the DeClutter Challenge! Wouldn't you love to be able to come home to a clean, orderly, peaceful house? Don't you dream of cooking in a kitchen where all of your utensils are where they should be, and where your countertops glisten and beg to be covered with cookies instead of clutter? Take the DeClutter Challenge today! What is a DeClutter Challenge, you ask? Simply put, it's a challenge you give yourself (and/or your friends and family) to get a huge part of your house decluttered in a specific time frame. And it WORKS!

The 30 Day DeClutter Challenge

One type of challenge is called the 30 Day DeClutter Challenge, and the idea is that on each of the 30 days of the month you declutter one thing or area, large or small. The items can range from the top shelf in your pantry cupboard to the toy bin in your son's playroom, from your sock drawer to the gift wrap bin that gets stuffed in the office closet. The key is to be realistic with your task assignment. Writing "put photos accumulated from the last 2 years into albums" probably won't be able to be accomplished in one day, but perhaps "sort the photos into piles or envelopes according to the event or child and dispose of photos you don't wish to keep" COULD be done!

Once your tasks have been assigned, consider giving yourself a reward to look forward to when your 30 Day Challenge ends victoriously! Yes, having a much less cluttered house will be a reward in itself, but it's an undeniable truth that we work harder if we have something tangible to gain from our efforts!

The One Week DeClutter Challenge

Another type of challenge will require you to assign one entire week to your project. This will be a serious "no distractions allow" week during which you clear your schedule for the purpose of gaining back what used to be your clutter-free home.

Assign yourself one room of the house for each day, lock yourself inside it so to speak, and go nuts! Garbage bags, boxes for donations, boxes for re-sell, and of course some good old cleaning supplies will be your must-haves. Pull your significant other, your room-mate, or your children along for the ride! Many hands make light work, but also many hands make much clean!

Perhaps you'll need to scale back and give yourself a One Week Bedroom DeClutter Challenge, or a One Week Toy Room DeClutter Challenge. No worries! By committing yourself for 7 days (and really, what is 7 days in the scheme of things), you will without a doubt bring order back to at least part of your chaotic home!


The 2010 in 2010 DeClutter Challenge

This challenge is my favourite. Commit yourself to decluttering (throwing out, donating, or selling) 2010 things during the year 2010. That sounds like a lot of "stuff" doesn't it? If you do the math though, it's not too crazy at all. 2010 divided into 365 days is only 5.5 things per day. Look around you... the junk drawer, the cupboard under the stairs, your closet, the garage... that doesn' t seem unreasonable, does it? Keep track by ticking it off on the calendar or somewhere handy, and watch the clutter melt away!

Yet another way you can do the 2010 DeCluttering Challenge is to commit 2010 minutes specifically to decluttering! That's 33.5 hours.... A lot until you consider that there are 8,760 hours in one year! It's not even one 45 minute session per week! And yet 2010 minutes is enough to get a LOT decluttered!

So, the "30 Day ", the "One Week", and the "2010 in 2010"... three awesome ways to start decluttering your home! Click Here for more information! The end result of any of them will be a much less cluttered home - a place where you will enjoy being, enjoy hosting others, and enjoy living!


Marlee Dorst knows that getting and keeping a clutter-free house can be a huge challenge! If you want more information and tips on DeClutter Challenges, check out her Squidoo Lens called 30 Day DeClutter Challenge Marlee's own favourite decluttering resource, "DeClutter Fast", can be reviewed by Clicking Here!

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